The eight grade students at Mother Teresa went on a one-day retreat organized by staff from Campion College at the University of Regina and the school. It was a chance to get away from the busyness of the last month of the school and to find how God has been working in the students’ lives.
The retreat was a modified version of the Kairos retreat, which is often done for high school students. It focused on five themes: I am created by God; I am loved; I sometimes fall short; I am forgiven; and I am a friend of Jesus. The retreat also gave time for individual journaling and group discussions to allow the students to reflect and share what they have learned in each of the themes.
The most profound moment of the retreat was the forgiveness circle. All participants – staff and students – in the retreat were asked to stand in a large circle. If someone desired to seek forgiveness from someone in the room, they would walk to that person and stand in front of them. The other person would then put their hands on their shoulders to forgive the other person.
It takes a lot of humility to seek forgiveness from someone we have wronged and the humility of those present was clear in their participation in the activity. The participants took the time to stand in front of several people seeking forgiveness and were forgiven each time. Tears were shed as both staff and students were touched by the forgiveness and love in the room. I was personally touched seeing the teachers approach students seeking their forgiveness and the students forgiving the teachers.
This moment, and this retreat as a whole, spoke volumes about the benefits of being a part of a community. I have attended several retreats where talks have been given speaking about what forgiveness is and why it is important. However, seeing forgiveness in action has taught me more about forgiveness than those talks ever have. The humility and love present in the room touched my heart and reminded me of my own need to seek forgiveness from and give forgiveness to other people and particularly from God, no matter how difficult it might be. It reminded me that all of us present in that room were imperfect and were in need of forgiveness and healing.
The retreat was a life-changing experience for the grade eight students who attended. It helped them to move beyond previous hurts and to re-connect with one another. Finally, it was a way for them to experience God’s love for them and to remember their worth as children of the Creator.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Source for all photos: Andrea Carandang